Gate construction



Jan. 9, A SAURBREY GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet lErm;

Jan. 9, 1934. A, SAURBREY y GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 6, 1952 3Sheets-Sheet 2 www fw M 5 f, 4 u, m Q Qd Jan. 9, 1934. A. SAURBREY1,942,617

GATE CONSTRUCTION Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNT STATES PATENT orifice 17Claims.

The invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the feed ofmaterial, such as concrete, crushed stone, coal, etc., althoughparticularly designed for use withconcrete, the present applicationconstituting a continuation in part of my application, Serial No.537,080, filed May 13, 1931. Concrete contains hard lumps in a liquid orplastic matrix, therefore, the present invention is directedparticularly to the gate construction by means of which the flow ofmaterial from the feed hopper to the pressure chamber or gun, iscontrolled, such flow being intermittent, as the supply of material fromthe hopper to the container must be discontinued, and the gates closed,when air pressure is applied to the pressure chamber to feed thematerial (such as the concrete) from such container to the point of use.In apparatus of this kind, difficulty is experienced with the gates, dueto the tendency to clog, so that one or the other is blocked open, andto the tendency of the material to build up upon the surfaces on whichthe gates move and cause sticking and interference with the making of aproper seal, thus requiring frequent cleaning and loss of time. One ofthe objects of the invention is to overcome the foregoing difliculties,and to so arrange the parts that the opposing slide surfaces of the gateand its guides are in a large measure protected fromthe material beinghandled, thus avoiding abrasive action and sticking of the gate and lossof time in cleaning and insuring a tight seal, which prevents a loss ofair. Another object is to operate the gates in timed relation, the onefrom the other, so that there is never any deposit of the material uponthe upper face of the lower gate. A further object is the provision ofconnecting means between the gates which will permit either gate toclose in case the other should be blocked open by a lump of material. Astill further object is the provision of means at the closing edge ofthe upper gate, which will permit such gate to close and cut off theflow of material onto the gate below in case a lump of material lodgesbetween the edge of the gate and the edge of the .outlet opening.Certain embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus with the gates in openposition. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower gate. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation similar to that of Fig. 1 with the gates in closed position.Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections through the lower gate taken atright angles to eachother. Figs. 5a and 5bare detail views.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side and end elevation views respectively of the uppergate, the elevation of Fig. 6 being in part broken away to show thesealing means at the rear end of the gate. And Figs. 8 and 9 illustratea modification in which 60 the upper gate moves on a right line, and thelower one swings on an arc, Fig. 8 being a side elevation and Fig. 9 avertical section.

Referring to the drawings, the members 1 and 2 constitute a frameworkcarrying the hopper 65 3. The hopper has inclined front and rear walls 4and 5, and inclined side walls 6 (Figs. 6 and 7). The bottom is open toprovide an outlet, and the flow of material through this outlet isconrolled by a gate 7 made up of the curved bottom plate 70 8, sideplates 9 and hangers 10 pivoted to bolts 11. In` order to form a seatfor the rear edge of the gate, the flap 12 of fiexible material, such asrubber, is provided, such fiap being secured to the hopper by the angle13 and bolts 14. This 75 provides a more or less effective seal, eventhough a relatively large lump of material becomes lodged at the rearedge of the hopper opening, and permits the gate to close despite thepresence of such material, so that there is no substantial loss ofmaterial from the hopper, such as would occur with the gate blockedpartially open.

Located below the hopper 3 is the casing 15 for receivingvthe material,and from which such material is fed by air pressure. This casing or 35container has an linlet in the form of a collar 16 having out turnedflanges 17, 17 at its side edges and upon this collar is slidablymounted the lower gate 18. This gate comprises a heavy plate 1'9 with apair of angles 20, 20 (Fig. 5) welded to its 90 side edges with flanges21, 21 lying beneath the fianges 17, 17. Also welded to the front end ofthe plate 19 is a third angle 22a with a flange 22 lying beneath aflange 23 at the front end of the collar 16. Flexible packing strips 24,24, 24 are 95 provided on the under sides of the flanges 17, 17 and 23,so that when air pressure is applied to the interior of the casing 15,the gate is lifted and the packing is clamped between the two opposingsets of flanges, thus making tight joints and preventing a leakage ofair from the casing. The flanges 21 are supported upon angles 22h (Fig.5) mounted on angles 22e on the top of the casing 15, such angles 22hacting as a slideway or track for the movement of the gate. The angles22h are made vertically adjustable to take care of wear, as shown inFigs. 5a and 5b. To accomplish this, the vertical flanges of the angles22h are slotted and receive the bolts 22d carried by the verticalflanges of the angles 22e, the nuts 22e 110 serving to clamp the anglesin adjusted position. To adjust the angles 22h and assist in holdingthem in position, two pairs of bolts and nuts 221 and 22g are employed,the nuts 22g being Welded to the horizontal iianges of the angles 22h,and the bolts 22j which engage the nuts having their heads in engagementwith the flanges of the angles 22e. The parts are held in adjustedposition by the lock nuts 22h.. The foregoing arrangement provides thatthe slide surfaces between the gate and its guides are in a largemeasure protected from the material being handled, thus reducing anyabrasive action and any tendency to stick to a minimum. Loss of time incleaning the sliding surfaces and loss of air are avoided. At the rearend 25 of the collar 16 (Fig. 4) is provided a strip of yielding packingor sealing material 26 which is engaged by the rear end of the plate 19when the gate is closed. The packing is held by bolts 25a, and its upperedge protected by the plate 25h held by bolts 25e.

The lower gate 18 is preferably operated from an air or hydrauliccylinder 27 supported on the casing 15 by means of the member 28, 28.The cylinder is provided with a plunger whose piston rod 29 is pivotedto the lugs 30 at the front end of the gate.

The upper gate 7 is connected to the lower gate A18 so that they areopened and closed together.

This is accomplished by means of a pair of plungers 31, 31 pivoted attheir forward ends to the brackets 32, 32 carried by the lower gate, andworking at their other ends in cylinders 33, 33

jpivoted at their rear ends to the sides of the upper gate '7, asindicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 7. Springs 34 are interposed between theends of the cylinders 33 and the heads of the plungers 31 and soarranged that when the gates are in closed position (Fig. 3), thesprings are under a certain amount of compression. This arrangementinsures that in opening, the upper gate will open only after the lowergate is partially opened, and that in closing, the upper gate will closein advance of the lower one. This prevents any discharge of materialonto thetop of the upper gate, such as would occur, if the movements ofthe doors were started and stopped at the same time. It also preventsany injury to the upper gate in case lumps of material are lodged sothat they block the closing of such gate. In order to positively startthe upper gate in its closing movement, in case it should becomeslightly stuck in open position, the abutment 34a is provided (Fig.

`1) on the upper gate 7 in position to engage the shoulder 35 on thelower gate 18. rlhe first movement of the lower gate to the right,therefore, causes a similar movement of the upper gate, and thispositive actuation of the upper gate, continues until the arc of swingof the abutment 34a carries it out of engagement with the shoulder 35,after which the closing force applied to the upper gate is a yieldingone as heretofore described. To assist in starting the closing movementof the gate, the springs 35a are provided (Fig. '7) on the pivot bolts11, such springs being placed under stress as the gate 7 approaches itsopen position (Fig. l).

There is some tendency of the material being handled to collect in thespace 36 (Fig. 4) back of the angle 22a and in order to clear this spaceand avoid interference with the movement of the gate due to a collectionof material, connections 37, 37 (Figs. 2 and 4) are provided leadingthrough the vertical legs of the angles 20 forming a part of the gate,compressed air being supplied to these connections when the gate isclosed. The air thus supplied not only performs the cleaning function,but provides air pressure in the container 15 on top of the materialwhich assists in feeding such material from the container.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a modified structure, in which the upper gateinstead of moving on an arc as heretofore described, moves on a rightline, while the lower gate moves on an arc, and it will be understoodthat the invention is not limited to any particular path of movement ofeither gate as the principles of construction are the same whether thegates move in straight paths or curved ones. In this form ofconstruction, the hopper 38 is provided with a straight track orguideway 39, on which is mounted the gate 40 by means of the hangers 4land the rollers 42. The casing 43, to which the hopper discharges, hasan inlet 44 closed by means of a gate45 mounted for sliding movement ona curved guideway 46, the flanges 47 of the gate lying beneath those ofthe guideway, as in the rst form of construction with a packing 49 ofyielding material between. The gate 45 is moved by a pair of plungers 50working in cylinders 51 at the sides of the casing 43, such plungersbeing connected to the gate by means of the brackets 52. The upper gate40 is operated from the lower gate by means of yielding connections likethose heretofore described, and comprising the cylinders 53 pivoted tothe upper gate, the plungers 54 pivoted to the brackets 55 in the lowergate and springs 56 in the cylinders. The full lines in Figs. 8 show thetwo gates in closed position, and the dotted lines show them in openposition.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to theparticular construction shown and described, wherein the two gates aretied together with a resilient connecting means, and operated by asingle prime mover, but that it applies equally as well to modificationsfor accomplishing the same sequence and timing of the gates, whether asingle prime mover is employed, or one for each gate, the essentialfeature being the provision of suitable means whereby the movement ofone gate operates to cause the operation of the other gate in thedesired sequence as set forth in the claims.

What I claim is:

l. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containerswith openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each openingmounted for movement transversely thereof `in the same general directionboth in opening and closing, means for moving one of the gates back andforth between open and closed position, and lost motion connectionsbetween the gates so that the movement of the one in one direction movesthe other in the same direction arranged so that the beginning of theopening movement of the upper gate is delayed until the lower gate ispartially opened and the final closing movement of the lower gate isdelayed until the upper gate is closed.

2. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containerswith openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each openingmounted for movement transversely thereof, means for moving one of thegates back and forth between open and closed position, and a resilientconnection between the gates arranged so that the closing movement ofthe lower gate closes theupper gate in advance of the lower one andplaces said connection under further stress during the nal closingmovement of the lower gate.

3. An intermittent feeding apparatus compris-v ing a pair of containerswith openings `arranged one above the other, a gate for each opening"mounted for -movement transversely thereof,

the upper gate in advance of the lower one and permitsthe closing of thelowergate if theupper.:

gate is blocked against complete closing;

4. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containerswith openings arranged one above the' other, a gate for each openingmounted for movement transversely thereof, means for moving one of thegates back and forth between open and closed position, and a resilientconnection between the gates arranged so that the closing movement ofthe lower gate causes the complete closing of the upper gate before thelower gate is fully closed.

5. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containerswith openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each openingmounted for movement transversely thereof, means for positively movingthe lower gate back and forth between open and closed rposition and aresilient connection between the gates arranged so that the closingmovement of the lower gate closes the upper gate in advance of the lowerone and places the resilient connection under further stress during thefinal ,closing movement of the lower gate.

6. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containerswith openings arranged one above the other, a gate for each openingmounted for movement transversely there- 'of, means for positivelymoving the lower gate back and forth between open and closed position. aresilient connection between the gates so that a movement of the lowergate causes a movement of the upper one in the same direction vandpositive operating means between the gates which engages during thefirst portion only of the closing movement of the gates.

7. An intermittent feeding apparatus comprising a pair of containerswith openings arranged one above the other, a gate for the upper openingswinging in an arc, a gate for the lower opening mounted for right linemovement, means for positively moving the lower gate back and forthbetween open and closed position, a resilient connection between thegates so that a movement of the lower gate causes a movement of theupper one in the same direction, abutments on the gates arranged so thatthey lie in close opposition when the gates are open and so that the oneon the lower gate engages the one on the upper gate when the lower gatestarts its closing movement, the movement of the abutment on the uppergate on an arc serving to cause the disengagement from the other'abutment after the gates are partially closed.

8. In intermittent feeding apparatus for a container to which fluidpressure is applied having intermittent material feeding means above thecontainer, an inlet at the upper 'side of the :container in position toreceive said material having outwardly extending flanges at thesidesthereof lying outside the container, a sliding gate above the inlethaving flanges lying below the flrst flanges, and yielding packingbetween l'the two sets of flanges adapted to be placed under compressionand form a seal when fluid pressure is applied tothe linterior of thecasing..

9..'.In intermittent feeding apparatus for a container. to which fluidpressure is-applied having intermittent material feeding means above thecontainer, an inlet collar at the upper end of the containerin positionto receive said materialprovided with outwardly Aextending flanges.

atthe :sides thereof, a sliding gate above the inlet collarvhavingfflanges lying below. the first flanges, and yielding packingbetweenthe twov sets fof `flanges adapted to be placed under compressionand form a seal when. fluid pressure is applied. to. the'interior of thecasing.

10. In intermittent feedingA apparatus for a casing in position toreceive said material havingA outwardly extending flanges at the sidesand front thereof lying outside the container, a sliding gate above theinlet having flanges at its sides and at its front end lying below thefirst mentioned flanges when the gate is in closed position, andyielding packing between each pair of flanges adapted to be placed undercompression and form a seal when fluid pressure is applied to theinterior of the casing.

11. In intermittent feeding apparatus for a casing to which fluidpressure is applied having intermittent material feeding means above thecasing, an inlet at the upper side of the casing in position to receivesaid material having laterally extending flanges at the sides thereof, asliding gate above the inlet having flanges lying below the firstflanges, yielding packing between the two sets of flanges adapted to beplaced under compression and form a seal when fluid pressure is appliedto the interior of the casing, and a guide flange extendinglongitudinally of each of the side flanges on the gate beneath such sideflanges and engaging them when the gate is being opened and closed.

12. In intermittent feeding apparatus for a casing to which fluidpressure is applied having intermittent material feeding means above thecasing, an inlet at the upper side of the casing in position to receivesaid material having laterally extending flanges at the sides and frontthereof, a sliding gate above the inlet comprising a top plate, sidewalls and a front wall and inwardly turned flanges at the lower edges ofsaid side and front walls lying below the first mentioned flanges whenthe gate is in closed position, yielding packing between each pair offlanges adapted to be placed under compression and form a seal whenfluid pressure is applied to the interior of the casing, and air supplyconnections leading through one of the side walls of the gate at thefront end thereof just above the inwardly turned flange at the front endof the gate, and discharging to the interior of the casing.

13. In intermittent feeding apparatus for lump material, a hopper havingan outlet at its lower end, a gate mounted to move across said outlet,and a lip of flexible material secured to the hopper and projectingtransversely of the line of movement of the gate at the rear edge ofsaid outlet and free to swing back and forth, the parts being soarranged that the movement of the gate to closed position carries therear edge of the gate past the lip in sealing relation thereto.

14. In intermittent feeding apparatus for lumpy material, a hopperhaving an outlet at its lower end, a gate having a curved bottom mountedto swing about the center of curvature of said bottom and a lip offlexible material secured to the hopper and projecting transversely ofthe line of'moveme'nt ofthe gate tolerar edge of amdoutlet and free toswing back andforthythe partsy being so arranged that the movement ofthe gate to closed position carries the rear edge thereof past said lipin contact therewith. f Y

15. A `two part gate .having the parts disposed vertically one above theother, with the upper.

lower cut of! am of com pressed air when the gate is closed, and@wield--` in: lost motion between the two parts whereby one actuantes;the other in timed and partly positive relation.t 1 I y 17. A two partgate having theparts disposed vertically one above thejother, withl theupper one arranged to cut oi!` a supply .of material and the lower onearranged to c ut olf an outow of compressed air when thezate is closed,and a yielding lost motion connection between the two parts whereby oneactuates' the other in timed and partly positive relation, the `upperpartV of the gate being of less width than the lower part.

Ae YSAURBV REY.

